PROTECTIVE FACE MASKS MADE OF COFFEE!

This story was too interesting to miss. Vietnamese company ShoeX, who traditionally make sustainable shoes from waste coffee, have repurposed some machines to produce protective face masks they announced on April 21st.

It seems the trend for manufacturers to find ingenious ways to meet the current spike in demand for Personal Protective Equipment. Masks, in particular, are in huge demand, with China consuming 116 million masks a day during the peak of the virus outbreak in that country, and ShoeX believes they have a number of unique features.

The standout feature of the mask, named AirX, is the material used – coffee from Vietnam which they claim is antibacterial, reusable and biodegradable. To clarify one point, anti-bacterial is not anti-viral, this does not add some additional layer of protection to the masks, but considering the environments, these will be used and the close proximity to the nose and mouth, having an anti-bacterial material is definitely a bonus. In this regard, AirX has obtained the AATCC 100 certification (the textile industry’s standard for antimicrobial fabric performance in the United States) from QUATEST 3.

Thanh Le, the founder of ShoeX, said, “AirX is not just a recommendation to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus, but preserve the planet as well.”. Le goes on to say “The face mask deserves to have a longer life than just one-time use. Eco-friendliness, according to us, is not the only selling point of AirX because we all need to take it by default, as a proactive step towards cleaner living habits”.

“For the next development, we have successfully embedded technology in producing recycled AirX coffee mask with N95 feature, the product will be launched soon to the demanding market. The best thing about AirX is being the first step to deliver a healthy solution with 100% vegan components that everyone can buy. It is not too difficult or expensive to start being mindful of our consumption habits for environmentally friendly, natural and green products. With current resources, AirX can supply to mass production with quantity up to 10,000 masks daily, associated with high demand rate for face masks globally.”